Carpet-attachment device



W. GLQOR AND L. HAACK. 7

CARPET ATTACHMENT DEVICE, APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 4921 1,381,91 3.Patented June 21, 1921.1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTHER GLOOB AND LOUIS HAACK, OF NEVI YORK, N. Y.

CARPET-ATTACHMENT DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTHER Gnoon and Lotus HAAoK, the former a citizenof the Republic of Switzerland and the latter a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, both residing at New York, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Carpet-Attachment Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to means for the attachment of carpets tostaircases and has for its principal object to provide a constructionwhich will be simple and effective.

Our invention also has for its object to provide means for facilitatingthe engagement and disengagement of the carpet by and from the device.With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in theprovision of aclamping device which substantially consists of twosuperposed parallel bars or rails for each stair of which one isstationary and the other movable and which are adapted to cooperate witheach other so as to clamp the part of the carpet covering the stair.

It also consists in the provision of means for moving the movable bar orrail into and out of clamping position.

Our'invention-will be more fully understood by reference to theaccompanying drawing-in which similar reference characters denotecorresponding parts, and in which Figure 1 is a front viewof a part of astaircase'equipped for each step with my new clamping device; Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;. Fig. 3 is a side view ofthe bottom stair; Fig. 4. is an oppositc side view of the same bottomstair; Fig. 5 -is a section on line 5 5 of 1; Fig. 6 is a section ofbottom stair on line 66 of Fig. 1;-Fig. 7 is a section on line 7--7 ofFig. 1, and Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

In the present example we have shown our device applied to a staircasein which the bottom riser is curved longitudinally while all otherrisers are rectangular. suchcase the clamping device for the bottomriser while in principle identical with, but for reasons that will behereinafter given, constructionally somewhat i difi'erent from thedevices usedfor the rectangular steps. a y

7 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 21 1921 .Application filedMarch 8, 1921. Serial No 450,592. r

We shall refer first to-the construction of v the device for ordinaryrectangular risers.

10 denotes the rectangular treads of which only one is shown and 11denotes the curved bottom tread of the staircase. The carpet C 1sadapted to be laid from the top down, although it may be laid in reversedirection, covering each individual riser in the usual way.

The cla1nping devices and the means for operating the same are adaptedto be hidden behlnd the carpet. Each clamping device is composed of twosuperposed longitudinal members made in form of angle bars or L-shapedrails 12, 13 arranged parallel to each other. The L bar 13 is fixedwithl its horizontal side 13 to the upper face of the riser below, as 11in the example shown, by means of screws 14 or the like so that the freeedge of said side bears against the adacent riser 10 and the verticalside 13 of said bar runs parallel to said riserlO and is located at somedistance from the latter forming a free space 15. I

The rail or bar 12 is movably suspended above the rail 13, the verticalside 12 of sald rail being adapted to slidably bear on the riser 10while the other side 12 of said rail or bar extends forwardly anddownwardly not quite to the inner face of the vertical side 13 of thelower rail. This movable rail 12 is adapted in openposition to be so farraised from the lower rail as to form a slot like opening 16.

The carpet 0 covering the staircase is adapted to extend over theclamping devices concealing the latter. The vertical fold a of thecarpet C covering the riser 10' is folded upon itself near the lowerrail 13 to form a flap 0 which is folded over the upper edge of the side13 of said rail and passed through the slot like opening 16 into thespace 15. When the upper rail 12 is moved downwardly its forward edge incooperation with the vertical side 13 of the lower rail clamps the flapc and thereby secures the carpet in position. i

The forwardly and downwardly projecting side 12 of the upper rail 12 ispreferably arranged at an obtuse angle to the side 12 so as to slantdownwardly, in order to safeguard against accidental unlocking.

The movable rail 12 will'not only clamp the carpet as stated. but whenthe carpet is led from the top down, it will on engaging i the flap andas it is moved into clamping plane as the fulcrums-21 and 18 and whichposition draw thevertical fold c"taut.

F or the movable suspension of each rail 12 we provide a plurality ofuniformly long arms 17 which are fulcrumed by means of.

screws 18 or the like to the riser 10 of each step 10, all fulcrums ofthe arms 17 being arranged in a single horizontal plane. The

lower ends of the arms 17 are pivotally connected to the vertical side12 of the rail 12 as at 19. At'on'e end of the rail 12 we provide meansfor operating the same. These means, according to the present embodimentof my invention, consist of a lever 20 which is fulcrum'ed to the riser10' at 21, the fulcrum lying in the same plane as the fulcrums of thearms 17. At the outerside of the lever we provide a swinging member 22in form of a plate or the'like which is centrallyfulcrumed to the riser10 in the same is formed in its center with a square pin for theengagement of a key (not shown).

The member 22 is connected by two parallel links 24; to the lever 20,the connecting points 25, 26 being located one above and the otherbelowthe fulcrum 21 of the lever 20. Thus by swinging the member 22 inone or the opposite direction, the'lever 20 will be turned to lift orlower the bar or rail 12, relative to the lower rail 13. At one end ofthe rail 12 a stop 27 is provided which will limit the extent of thedownward movement of the rail 12. p

Referring'now to the curved bottom riser 11 the superposed rails 28, 29must be curved fin conformity with the curvature of; the tread to enablethe clamping of the carpet around the curved corners of the step. Therail 28 is fixed to the floor adjacent to the step by screws 30 or thelike just like the rail 13.

The upper rail 29 is movably suspended from the riser 11'. Thesuspension means 1n this case comprise an auxiliary rail or band 31curved around and parallel to the riser 11 and a-plurality of togglelinks 32 pivoted to said band at 33. These toggle links at their upperends are fulcrumed at 34: to the riser 11 and at their lower ends at 35to the rail 29. Two or more of the toggle links are also connected attheir lower pivots to crank arms 36 which are fulcrumed to the riser 11'at points 36 intermediate the rail 29 and-band 31. Each end of theauxiliary band 31 is pivotally connected to a crank arm 37 carried by abracket 38 fixed to the staircase as. at 39. The fulcrum of each crankarm 37 is extended forwardly and formedto a square 37 for theengagerail.

the corners of the step 11. Inasmuch as the band 31 has the tendency tobulge forwardly when a push-action isexertedon the toggle links 32 wefound it advantageous to provide an operating arm for each end of theThis enables us tomove the rail into and out of clamping position byturning the operating crank 37 at one" end or that on theopposite end ofthe rail 29 to exert. a pull action on the links 32.

Of course, the device may be modlfied in various ways without departingfrom the principle of our invention and we, therefore, do notwishtorestrict ourselves to the details shown and described. 1

What we claim and'desire Letters Patent is 1. In a device for attachinga'carpet to a riser of a staircase,'a stationary rail fixed-to andextending longitudinally of and near the foot of the riser and a secondmember parallel. to said stationary memberand'capable ofmovingparallelto itself to'clamp the carpet between itself and saidstationary member.

2. In a device for attaching-a carpet to a staircase, a stationarymember and movable member for each riser, cooperating with each other toclamp the carpet, and means for moving eachjmovable member parallel toit- "S0 to secure by self and said stationary member, said members andmeans being concealed behind the plurality of swinging arms carryingsaid second rail and means for moving said'rail. 1-10 5. A device forthe attachment of a carpet to a curved riser of a staircase comprising acurved clamping rail embracing said riser and means for moving the sameparallel to itself. A r i 6. A device forthe attachment of a carpet to acurved riser'of a staircase, comprising a pair of curved-rails embracingsaid riser and of which one is fixed and the other movable, apluralityof swinging members carrying said movable'r'ail and whereby'said rail ismovable parallel to itself and means at each end of said movable-railfor liftingand lowering the latter. e

' device of the character described. comprlsmg a pair of superposedparallel clamping rails of which one is movable parallel to itself. e i

8. device of the character described, comprising a pair of parallel Lrails extend- 0 ing longitudinally of a step and of which one is movableparallel to itself.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a rail movableparallel to itself and a key operated means for moving said rail.

10. In a device of the character described, a carpet engaging membermovable vertically parallel to itself and a key operated means at eachend thereof to move said member into and out of operating position.

11. In a device of the character described, a curved vertically movablecarpet engaging member, a plurality of toggle links carrying said memberand means at each end of the latter for swinging said links so as toraise and lower said member into and out of engaging position.

12. In a device of the character described, a curved vertically movablecarpet engaging member, a plurality of connected toggle links carryingsaid member and means at each end of the latter for swinging said linksso as to raise and lower said member into and out of engaging position.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

WALTHER GLOOR. LOUIS HAAOK. Witnesses:

MAX D. ORDMANN, J osnmz T. MOMAHON.

